1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electric lamp device constructed by placing a plurality of small-sized light-emitting elements within an envelope including a globe and a base body, and further to a lighting apparatus using this electric lamp device.
2. Description of the Related Art
There has been known an illuminator, such as a garden light, which is for the purpose of illuminating a square, a park, an entrance of a building, a plantation around a building, or the like at a relatively low position. Although this type of illuminator has some basic configurations, an illuminator with a configuration shown in FIG. 11 has been employed in relatively many cases.
FIG. 12 is a front-elevational and cutaway cross-sectional view showing a prior garden light. In the illustration, numeral 101 denotes a lamp pipe (column), numeral 102 depicts a pedestal, numeral 103 designates a supporting frame, numeral 104 represents a socket, numeral 105 signifies a compact fluorescent lamp, numeral 106 indicates a louver means, numeral 107 stands for a globe, numeral 108 denotes a packing, and numeral 109 designates a stabilizer. The lamp pipe 101 has an internally hollow, cylindrical configuration, and in use, its proximal portion is planted into the ground. The pedestal 102 has a short cylindrical configuration with a step, and its small-diameter section 102a constitutes a connecting section which is inserted into the tip portion of the lamp pipe and attached through a mounting device such as screws to the lamp pipe 101, while its large-diameter section 102b is positioned on the tip portion of the lamp pipe 101 and constitutes a main section where the globe 107 is mounted thereon by means of a thread groove 102b1 made in an inner surface thereof.
The supporting frame 103 has a circular box-like configuration made such that its top has a circumferential inclined surface 103a, and it is fixedly secured to the interior of the pedestal 102, with it internally holding the socket 104. In a manner of being set in the socket 104, the compact fluorescent lamp 105 is brought into electrical connection with a lighting circuit including the stabilizer 109 concurrently with being mechanically held thereby. The louver means 106 is composed of a plurality of ring-like louver components 106a and an assembling mechanism 106b. Each of the ring-like louver components 106a is made up of an upper portion 106a1 and a louver portion 106a2 extending downwardly from the outer circumferential edge of the upper portion 106a1 to make an inclined configuration. The assembling mechanism 106b is composed of a metallic bar 106b1, spacers 106b2 and nuts 106b3. That is, the lower end portion of the metallic bar 106b1 is fixedly secured through the nut 106b3 to the top surface of the supporting frame 103, and the spacer 106b2 is fitted over the metallic bar 106b1, and further another louver component 106a is fitted over the metallic bar 106b1, and then, the other louver components 106a and spacers 106b2 are successively fitted over the metallic bar 106b1 in like manner, and finally, the nut 106b3 is screwed on the metallic bard 106b1 to assemble the louver body 106 on the supporting frame 103. The globe 107 has a top portion with a semi-spherical configuration, and its outer surface is covered with a light-intercepting coating 107a. In addition, it proximal portion is open, and the outer circumference of its open end portion is made to have a thread groove 107b. Further, its intermediate portion is made to have a cylindrical transparent light-transmitting portion 107c.
Furthermore, in the prior garden light described above, the outer diameter of the globe 107 is 150 mm, and the height of the pedestal 102 plus the globe 107 is 210 mm. Furthermore, the compact fluorescent lamp 105 is constructed such that its glass tube section has a width of 37.5 mm and a length of 111.5 mm.
For replacement of the compact fluorescent lamp 105, the globe is turned to be detached from the pedestal 102, and a hand is inserted into the louver body 106 to rotate the fluorescent lamp 105, thereby removing it from the socket 104. Meanwhile, so far, there has been known an electric lamp device of the type in which a plurality of small-sized electric lamps are hermetically sealed in serial or parallel connection within a glass bulb.
FIG. 13 is a front elevational view showing a prior electric lamp 1 disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 61-138160. In the illustration, numeral 201 represents a glass bulb, numeral 202 designates a base, numeral 203 depicts lead-in wires, numeral 204 denotes electric lamps, and numeral 205 stands for lead wires. The glass bulb 201 has a structure similar to that of a common lighting electric lamp, and is equipped with a flare stem press 201a.
The plurality of electric lamps 204 are connected in series to each other, and connected to the base 202 in a manner that the lead wires ending in both ends thereof are connected to the pair of lead-in wires 203. They are arranged linearly as shown in the illustration or disposed in a ring-like configuration. In addition, the aforesaid publication says that incandescent lamps, discharge lamps or the like are employed as the electric lamps 204.
Furthermore, the publication mentions that the above-described prior technique can display an excellent display effect.
FIG. 14 is a schematic illustration of a principal portion of a prior electric lamp 2 disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 2-117657. In the illustration, numeral 301 represents a flare stem press, numeral 302 designates a pedestal, numeral 303 indicates small lamps, numeral 304 signifies lead wires, and numeral 305 stands for splicers.
The flare stem press 301 is employed as a sealing section for a glass bulb of a common lighting electric lamp, and has, at its tip portion, a projection 301a for planting an anchor wire, and a pair of lead-in wires 301b are hermetically introduced into the glass bulb. The pedestal 302 is fixedly placed with the glass bulb (not shown) in a manner that the projection 301a is inserted into a central hole made at its central portion. Further, small holes are made around the central hole of the pedestal 302. The plurality of small lamps 303 are disposed on the pedestal 302, and one lead wire of each of the small lamps 303 is guided through the small hole to the area surface side of the pedestal 302, and is connected through the splicer 305 to one of the lead wires of another small lamp adjacent to the first-mentioned one lead wire on the rear surface side of the pedestal 302. The other lead wire is connected through the splicer 305 to one of the lead wires of a different small lamp adjacent thereto on the front surface side of the pedestal 302.
Furthermore, the pedestal fixing the small lamps 303 is inserted into the stem press 301 and fixed there. In this case, it is said that the fixing of the small lamps 303 becomes simple, and by applying a heat resistant paint to each of the surface of each of the small lamps 303 to color it, a lamp with multi-color light is obtainable.
In the case of the prior garden light, for lamp replacement the louver components are required to have a large inner diameter to allow the insertion of a hand, and the lamp itself is large in size. Therefore the garden lamp results in a large-sized and complicated construction, which leads to a high cost and which causes lamp replacement to be troublesome.
Meanwhile, in the case of the prior electric lamps 1 and 2, since both directly use the common lighting glass bulb, difficulty is experienced to insert a plurality of small-sized electric lamps to given positions within the glass bulb. In addition, there is a problem in making the lamp vibration proof. That is, since the prior electric lamp 1 has a small glass bulb neck portion, it is difficult to dispose the electric lamps 204 in a linear or ring-like configuration within the glass bulb. Likewise, the prior electric lamp 2 has a small glass bulb neck portion, which makes it difficult to use the pedestal 302 with a desirable dimension, and since the small lamp 303 is supported by only one lead wire thereof, the support of the small lamp 303 becomes unstable.
Moreover, in the case of the prior electric lamps 1 and 2, since the glass bulb is heated to accomplish glass welding when the glass bulb is hermetically sealed, dedicated sealing equipment becomes necessary, and parts lacking sufficient heat resistance cannot be hermetically put in the glass bulb.